On June 26, 2023, Lily Duncan passed away at her home at Concordia Place in Winnipeg.
We celebrate the life of a talented and caring lady who loved and was loved by family and friends.
Born in Yugoslavia, to Sava (Sam) and Angelina (Lena), Lil, her mother, and sister Mary emigrated to Canada when she was 7 years old. They joined their father, who emigrated early to set up a new life. Lil’s many stories showed her work ethic, care for family (which grew with the addition of brother John and sister Sophie (Joan), and her amazing sense of humour. She told of roaming the boat on the journey to Canada, showing up for bed one evening wearing high-heeled shoes she had ‘found’ under the chair of a lady on board, and how her mother had ensured they were just as quickly returned without anyone being the wiser.
The family settled in the Elmwood area, and she became part of a community where there were many like them who were new to Canada and eager to make friends. She was fiercely proud of her mother and father’s work on house renovations that created a warm and loving home for the family, for many years.
Lil was a talented and accomplished seamstress and did a variety of office jobs with both Revenue Canada and the Canadian Wheat Board. She was not afraid of hard work as evidenced by her work at Canada Packers in her early days. She smiled at stories of getting to know people on the bus route home, including Don Duncan. Their friendship evolved into a love story that lasted until Don passed away in 2012.
They did everything together – travelled, bowled, gardened, and cared for the home that they bought soon after their marriage. There was little that Lil and Don could not do working together, and they loved doing things together. They especially enjoyed winemaking and produced a wide variety of excellent products from wild berries and fruit and even produce from their own garden that were enjoyed by all!
Lil held her family close and had many special bonds with her sisters and brother, Don’s Uncle Alex (Wilma), and their families. She and her husband Don would travel to the cottage at Minaki, Ontario or through the “States” every summer with her parents, and other family members.
Throughout her life, Lil and Don took many special trips to visit family from Ontario to Alberta, as well as New York, Florida and one very special trip to take her parents to Yugoslavia. She always enjoyed family visits over Sunday roast chicken dinner!
A big part of Lil and Don’s lives were the addition of a variety of feline friends. After adopting a stray near the Stockyards where Don worked, they spent many years regularly delivering dinners to other strays they knew were in the area and in need of care. Those were lucky kitties!
Lil always proudly said her mother had told her “She was tough”, and her many accomplishments and enjoyments through almost 99 years are a testament to how this toughness contributed to the many pleasures she had and brought to others.
In the past few years, she has missed Don, her parents, brother Johnny, sister Mary, and niece Cindy, more and more, and it is nice to think of her with them once again enjoying one another together.
She leaves to mourn, her sister Joan (Charlie) Strachan; sister-in-law Velda Gugulyn; her nieces Carol Klopko, Darcy (Tim) Nesdoly and Debbie (Brent) Chelle; and nephews, Ken (Karen) Klopko, Jeff (Heather) Strachan, Cary (Barb) Strachan, Stephen (Danielle) Strachan, Derrick Gugulyn (Karen) and Darren Gugulyn (Leanne).
The family would like to extend a very special thank you to cousin Lynda Baxter (Kerry) and family for their extra special care and attention for Lil over the past 11 years!
Special thanks to all at Riverwood Square staff (especially Florentina and Maria) and the staff at Concordia Place who went the extra mile to support Lil over the past few months.
As per Lil’s wishes, there will be no service and she will be interred with Don in Elmwood Cemetery.
